


Sophie Survives a Bomb—The Team Saves Her Job

by crayonbreakygal



Category: Leverage
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2016-04-17
Packaged: 2018-06-02 17:39:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6576100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crayonbreakygal/pseuds/crayonbreakygal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They’d come and rescue her, if they could.  Takes place during The Two Live Crew job, season two.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sophie Survives a Bomb—The Team Saves Her Job

**Author's Note:**

> There must have been scenes missing between the blast and the funeral. There's no way that they weren't injured surviving that bomb. They also didn't seem that upset that someone tried to kill Sophie. There had to be some time to deal with that fact. And the fact, by watching the commentary on the DVDs, that John Rogers, executive producer of the show, doesn't want the two of them to get together because they're not ready. I call bullshit just because of what happened here. Doesn't mean that Sophie cannot eventually leave. Enjoy! Also, no harm came to any executive producers of shows. I just have a difference of opinion on character development.

Takes place during The Two Live Crew job, season two

Sophie Survives a Bomb—The Team Saves Her Job

Oh god, this was not how her life was supposed to end.  She imagined it would be a bullet or someone would push her off a bridge or she’d just fall asleep and not wake up.  Whoever hated her made it personal.

Sophie groaned as she thought about how lonely she was at the moment.  The team did not know what was happening.  Sure, they were probably at the pub, exchanging thoughts on what went wrong with stealing the Klimt.  It should have worked.  Only someone else had gotten there before they did.  That awful painting of dogs playing poker would probably hang in Hardison’s place now, just to remind them that they’d failed to find the prized painting that had been stolen so long ago.

She hoped that her arms wouldn’t tire, that she wouldn’t get an itch or have to go to the bathroom.  There was no way out of this one, unless a miracle happened. 

She had experienced more miracles though in the past year than she had in all her years of grifting.  Grifting had become a grind though, hence the semi-retirement she had implemented before Nate called on her in Chicago.  Pulling her back in had been easy.  The fact that she didn’t like who she’d become was the issue.  The issue was who was she?  Was she Sophie or Katherine or Jenny or Annie?  A long list of personas slipped through her memory.  Only Sophie felt somewhat close to what she wanted to be.  Not close enough though.

At first, when she’d picked up the flowers, she thought that maybe Nate had sent them.  That was before she’d seen the bomb nestled at the bottom.  It was only luck that the paper surrounding the glass vase had slipped off.  She was lucky, very lucky that it hadn’t gone off as she moved it into her apartment. 

She screamed a bit, cried, tried not to move, spoke into the comm for what seemed like hours because she hadn’t taken hers out.  Apparently everyone else did.  As her cell phone rang, she thought who else could be calling?  She prayed it was one of the team.  Eliot finally spoke into the comm.  She sighed in relief finally.  They’d come and rescue her, if they could.

They all arrived much faster than she thought possible, although with either Eliot or Parker driving, it could be done.  The looks of concern and terror on their faces made her realize that they did indeed care for her.  All looked to be working on the problem.  Hardison almost had started crying, Eliot looked grim, Parker looked as if she was attempting to solve a puzzle and Nate looked as if he’d take the vase from her if he could.  That was her team.

They all wanted to stay, to protect her.  Only in the end, they couldn’t.  She wouldn’t be the cause of them getting hurt or worse, killed.  They all knew that, well, except for Nate, who probably would have stayed if she showed the least hesitation.  She would not be the reason that he died. 

Parker’s idea of instant pudding would at least give her a chance to survive.  Sophie prayed to herself that she’d get out of this somewhat intact.  The vase wasn’t that heavy, but she knew she’d have to drop it just so to give her an opportunity to escape.  If she made it to the door, then the door and wall might shield her from some of the blast.

It all happened in slow motion in her mind as she thought back. Making it to the door, she was slammed from behind as the blast ripped her apartment to shreds.  She could feel, yes feel, which meant she wasn’t dead, the wood and glass flying everywhere.  Thank goodness she didn’t have on a dress.  Her legs would be mangled if she had. 

As she thought back on it, Sophie realized the only reason she survived was her team.  Parker’s idea, Eliot’s guidance, Hardison’s prayer to survive had pulled her through.  Nate hadn’t exactly listened to her though, standing just outside her door.  He pulled her to the ground as the blast blew through her door to destroy her apartment.  It was only his quick thinking to cover her with himself that helped her survive.  What a stupid man, she thought.  He put himself in danger to save her.  Eliot managed to dig them out while the sprinklers put out most of the fire.  They all had bumps and bruises, Nate the worst of all.  He walked slumped over as they arrived back at the loft.  She wondered just how hurt he really was. 

Eliot attempted to help the mastermind, but Nate shrugged off any help Eliot offered.  Parker picked out glass and wood from Sophie’s hair as she sat at the dining room table.

“Come on, Parker.  Just leave it.”

Hardison was right.  Sophie really didn’t care how much debris she had in her hair.

“It makes her hair not be so pretty. You have pretty hair.”

Sophie sighed in response.  “Thanks.”

Nate’s hand shook as he drank the water that Eliot poured for him. 

“Parker, let’s go,” Eliot insisted as he watched Nate lean his head down on the table.

“Call us if, you know.”

Hardison was trying to get Parker out of there.

“You’re dead, Sophie.  Don’t leave,” Eliot told her as he backed out of the space.

“Oh, yay.  I’m dead now,” she deadpanned back.

Nate’s hand clenched at Eliot’s statement. 

“Keep the blinds closed, lights down low.  Don’t answer the door for anything unless you know it’s us.”

It was already much darker than it usually was at the dining table.  That was probably good since Sophie knew she must look like death with clothes tattered, makeup streaked and possibly some blood near her neck.  It itched.  Reaching up, she discovered a sliver of wood had embedded itself.

“Ow, shit,” she exclaimed.

Nate’s head came up quickly, glancing around as if there was some kind of threat.

“Hey.”

Rising from his seat, he pulled her hair aside and looked down at her exposed neck.

“I can’t see.”

“Eliot said to not turn the lights on.”

“Bathroom.”

There wasn’t a window in one of the bathrooms, so that was the place to go.  It meant climbing those winding stairs, but the wood needed to come out.  Slipping her ruined shoes off, she shrugged off the coat that now had several holes in it.  Small pieces of junk fell to the floor as she did.  Nate’s coat joined hers, as did his shoes.  He turned his head upside down and shook it.

Slowly, Sophie took the stairs carefully.  Her muscles hurt like she’d run a marathon.  She was sure there would be bruises in the morning.  Her ankle felt a bit tender along with one of her knees.  She didn’t even want to think of the scrapes that were under her clothes.  Her elbow felt raw as did the side of her face.

Nate was behind her, just as slow and careful.  He’d have bruises to match her bruises.  Once this was over and they caught whoever did this, she’d have to chastise him for what he did. 

“Sit down,” He instructed her as he entered the bathroom behind her.

Sophie grabbed onto the sink to steady herself as she sat on the closed toilet. Nate gathered supplies from the medicine cabinet.  Her fingers fumbled as she attempted to take her tattered blouse off to give him better access.  He quickly washed his hands as he kept glancing her way.

Finally the blouse was unbuttoned, slipping from her shoulders.  The gasp came from Nate as he opened his eyes to look down at her.

“God, I need a drink.”

“You and me both,” she answered back.

She wouldn’t let that happen though.  She’d try to keep Nate steady to get through this.  He could.  He just didn’t know that he had the strength to do it.

“You, you’re pretty banged up,” he said, voice low, catching at the beginning.

She shook her head in response, pulling her hair out of the way where the small sliver was starting to cause more pain than she was willing to deal with.

“I don’t know if I can,” Nate started as he came closer.

She grabbed his hand to steady him.  Looking up into his eyes, she saw how this had really affected him.  Bringing his hand to her lips, she placed a light kiss on it, hoping that it would help him deal with the aftermath.

Sophie leaned her head to the side, holding her hair out of his way as he took the tweezers to the sliver.  It hurt a bit getting it out, but when he was successful, it felt so much better.  He cleaned it and placed a bandage over where he had pulled it out.

“Anything else?” he asked as he turned to her again.

He was so close, she could just reach out and hold on.  She felt though she had to be the strong one here, to make sure that Nate held on to his sanity since hers was slipping slowly away from her.  Leaning her head forward, her arms came around his waist to hold on so he wouldn’t run away from her.  He sagged into her, breath coming shallow and hard like he couldn’t breathe.

“Oh Sophie,” he whispered as he ran his hands through her hair.

The tears came fast and hard, but silently.  She wanted to scream and cry and wail, but held it in.  Nate sank to the floor, landing on his knees, pulling her from her perch into his arms.  She buried her face into his chest, sobs making it hard to breathe.  She could tell he was crying too, but didn’t want to acknowledge that fact because it might break what was going on between them.  She needed him right where he was, holding her, not holding back.

“Sophie,” he whispered into her hair.

She raised her head to look into his eyes.

“I almost lost you.”

“I’m here.”

His head was so close to hers so it didn’t take much effort for his lips to find hers, gently urging her to open to him.  This was not how she had wanted to kiss him again.  She wanted him willing and able, grasping for her like she was his everything.  Maybe this was better, that he saw that she could possibly mean something to him, not just as an adversary or a woman who desperately wanted him.  She wanted him to see her as a partner, an equal, not some fragile creature.

She gasped as he deepened the kiss, as his arms snaked around her to hold tight.  Sophie pulled back just a little to catch her breath after a long battle they both had with who would control the kiss.  Damn Nate and his control issues.

“I have glass in my hair,” she got out finally, hoping to slow him down if just a bit.

“Probably some wood, drywall and insulation too.”

He smiled her way.  She could see bits of debris sticking in his hair too.  He helped her up off the floor, not moving very far though.  Reaching into the shower, he turned it on full blast, heat and steam quickly filling the room.

“Get cleaned up so I can see if there are any scrapes that need to be doctored.”

“Oh, so you want to play doctor now,” she quipped back.

“Where else does it hurt?” he managed to get out as he watched her pants fall to the floor.

“You might want to stick around to make sure I don’t need more attention.”

Nate chuckled a little with that, hands ghosting over her hips and back up to her waist.  He knew what she looked like without clothes since he’d spotted her on a beach in France that one time.  This was much more intimate and definitely more enticing.  Besides, then he’d been fully clothed down to the skewed tie that never, ever came close to his neck.

He somehow managed to lose the shirt and pants while she wasn’t looking, standing in front of her with just the boxers and a smile and about a dozen scrapes and darkening bruises across his body.  She wondered what he saw on her.

“Let’s make sure all those scrapes and cuts are cleaned, shall we?”

Sophie dropped the rest of what she had on and entered the shower.  The hot water hit her injuries, making her wince in pain at the shock. 

“Hair first,” he whispered in her ear.

She hadn’t seen him enter behind her, wanting to feel the heat against her body if just for a moment.  He gently washed and rinsed her hair under the spray, trying to get all the debris out.

“Careful.  Let me make sure there’s nothing to step on.”

His hands left her body while he checked to make sure whatever had been left on her had gone down the drain.  Sophie picked up the soap and started to clean her wounds, luckily none deep, but they stung just the same. 

“Hey, I’m the doctor here,” he chastised her as he took the soap into his hands, rubbing it between his fingers. 

His hands efficiently traveled up and down her body, careful of her injuries.  Rinsing again, she turned to him finally, opening her eyes.  His lips touched her forehead. 

“You look like you might need some attention by a skilled nurse.”

“Or you could just play doctor.”

Sophie smiled at his play with words, reaching behind him for the soap that he had deposited after washing the aftermath of the explosion off her body. 

“Any glass in your hair?” she asked as she soaped up her hands.

“I’m sure there’s something in it.”

As she washed him, she wondered how they’d gotten exactly where they were.  Sure, they had danced around each other for years, knowing that they could only look, but not touch.  Now that they could touch, it had taken both of them a while to realize they were free.  Both had issues that had prevented from this happening at first.  Now Nate was sober (but an utter bastard at times), and Sophie was for all intense purposes, dead.  They sure did make an interesting pair.

Sophie quickly washed his hair, helping him rinse.  As he shook the water out of his eyes, he looked down at her, moving his hands to her backside.

“Ow,” she said quietly as his hand glided across her hip.

“I don’t know if we have enough bandages.”

Turning off the water, Nate reached out of the shower and grabbed a towel.  It smelled like him, like he had used it that very morning.  Neither had looked down, wanting to keep that eye to eye contact that they did not want broken.  Squeezing the excess water out of her hair, he rubbed it with the towel as gently as he could, moving down to pat her dry.  The steam escaped as he opened the door to the shower.  It had shrouded them both in a haze.  Now that she could see better, she immediately saw the red mark on Nate’s shoulder and arm as he helped her out of the bathroom.  She could just imagine how beat up she looked.  He led her into his bedroom.

Pulling the duvet back off the bed, Sophie slowly climbed in, not worrying about anything other than getting off her feet.  Nate followed her in, both still damp from the shower.  He pulled her close, hands working through her wet hair just a bit as she settled herself flush with his body.

“Nate,” she started.  “What happened, today?  What are we doing?”

“Sleeping, hopefully,”

From what she felt directly against her stomach, that wasn’t all he had on his mind.  It didn’t come as a surprise that he was turned on by their naked bodies plastered up against each other. Either he had the patience of a saint or was lying through his teeth.  She concluded it was probably a bit of both.  She had neither the patience and knew she’d be lying otherwise that this was not affecting her.

“Wishful thinking,” she told him as she found his lips with hers.

She’d avoid the elephant in the room and go for the comfort.  He’d never offered anything like this to her, although she always knew this is where they’d end up.  It should have happened years ago, only neither was prepared for the consequences.

“I was so scared I’d lose you,” he said as his lips made their way down to her shoulder.

He touched her like she would break at any time.  That’s not what she wanted from him at that moment.  She wanted him to know that she was alive and willing, not some porcelain doll that needed to be put on a shelf and protected by him, from him.  Impatiently, she ran her hands over his chest and down, making him gasp in surprise when she found what she wanted.  That urged him on, hands and mouth exciting her, finding each point on her body that was sensitive to his touch.

“Foreplay’s over,” she told him as she climbed on top, taking things into her own hands, sinking down over him, him gasping in surprise and pleasure.

He held her in his arms as her hips moved up and down, mouths devouring each other.  His arms wrapped around her back.  She felt him hit several of her sore spots, but she ignored the pain for the pleasure that was radiating throughout her body.

She could tell he wanted to flip her, take control, but she resisted, taking his hands from her back and pinning him to the bed.

“Don’t you dare,” she whispered as she bit his neck, making him arch his head back, giving her more access.

Her release was building to a crescendo, hoping that he wasn’t very far behind.  Her legs couldn’t deal with the friction much longer with all the scrapes to her knees and ankles.  Taking her mouth with his again, he managed to work his arms from her hands burying one hand into her hair and the other one between their bodies.  That was the incentive she needed to go over the edge, shaking as she did. He thrust up into her once more, groaning out his release mere seconds later.

“I think I might need a real doctor after that,” he got out as he breathed heavily into her hair.

She didn’t move, relishing his secure hold on her.

“I don’t think I can move,” Sophie finally said.

“Need help?”

“I might.”

It took her a few moments for her legs to be able to move, but she managed to collapse to his side, wincing as she did.  He was quick to help her.

“Ow,” she groaned out as he arose from the bed.  “Where are you going?”

“Sounds to me like you really do need some kind of ointment on all those scrapes.  Be back.”

She just wanted to cuddle, but everything had started to hurt in addition to the cramp in her leg from doing most of the work in bed.

It took him some time, but he fixed her up as best he could in addition to cleaning up the mess they made of the bed.  Tucking her in, he climbed back in, pulling the blankets tight against both of them.

“We are not moving tomorrow.”

“We might want to because if we are asleep when they arrive?”

Sophie realized all she had on was one of Nate’s t-shirts and a pair of his boxers.  Her clothes were ruined.  She had some clothes in one of his closets for cons but nothing suitable for just lounging.

“Don’t care,” he said as he buried his nose in her neck.

“Not so sure about that.”

Nate pulled away slightly to look at her again, finger stroking down her cheek gently.

“Very sure about that.”

“We could tell them you were playing doctor.”

Nate smirked her way.  “I seem to remember someone pinning me to the bed.”

“I didn’t think your back could take doing what I had wanted.”

“Are you saying I’m old?”

Placing a gentle kiss on his lips, she shook her head no.  “I’m saying thank you, for saving my life.  Well, maybe a little old.”

She shrieked as he pinned her to the bed.  “I’ll make you regret that,” he said as he worked his way down her breasts, her stomach.

“More experience is always good,” she panted out, grabbing his hair to anchor herself.

 

It was quiet as she slowly made her way down the stairs to make tea.  It was late into the day, so she didn’t understand why the other three weren’t downstairs making noise and waking them.  Nate’s clothes were comfortable, but she’d have to find something more suitable to go out in.  Luckily she had a black dress to attend her funeral.  As she was pouring water into the kettle, Parker burst into the room, looking around for danger.

“Parker, it’s just me,” she acknowledged so the thief wouldn’t taser her.

“Oh right. You’re dead though.  We should have a funeral.”

“She’s not dead, Parker,” Eliot said as he walked into sight, breakfast or possibly lunch in a bag.

Hardison looked at her suspiciously, probably because of the clothes she wore.

“Want me to look at those scrapes now?” Eliot asked as Hardison unloaded the food onto the table.

“She’s fine,” Nate said as he made his way down the stairs.

“He played doctor last night,” Sophie said, only realizing what she said after that came out.

“I didn’t know Nate was a doctor,” Parker interjected.

Hardison shook his head at both Parker’s statement and his dirty mind.

“Hardison, gutter, man,” Eliot said as he placed plates on the table.

Nate winced as he sat down at the table, robe rumpled and gaping open.  Sophie could see a small scrape standing out against his collarbone.  She hadn’t noticed that last night when they undressed.  Did she cause that?

“Nate, want me to look at all those scrapes?”

“No,” both Sophie and Nate firmly told Eliot as he sat down next to Parker.

“You have no clothes,” Parker said with a mouth full of food.

“Parker?” Eliot growled.

“Oh, sorry.”

“Nate let me borrow some last night.”

“Uh huh,” Hardison added, eyeing the mastermind at the end of the table.

Sophie arose from the table to fill up her drink, only she managed to step on something sharp, wincing in pain.  Before the others had time to even respond to her pain, Nate was there, picking her up into his arms.

“Must be some glass on the floor,” Eliot stated as Hardison went to grab a broom.

“We forgot, last night, all the glass in my hair,” Sophie said as she was in his arms.  “I’m OK.  You can put me down.”

The room became quiet, all staring at the two of them, Nate’s arms around her, Sophie not looking away.

“We should probably,” Eliot started.

“Yeah, we got that thing, we need to plan, you know,” Hardison continued.

“Are the two of you going to have sex again?” Parker said as her two companions tried to grab her and push her out of the room.

“Again?” Hardison bellowed as they made their way out the door.

“Dammit, Hardison,” Eliot added.

“Am I the only one who noticed?  She has his clothes on.”

“Parker, she doesn’t have any clothes left.”

The three left in a hurry, food still on the table, Nate and Sophie still staring at each other.

“You really can put me down now. We’ll have to remember that when we want to clear the room.”

“Good thing to have in our back pocket,” Nate agreed, but still not putting her down.

He sat her down directly on the table, taking her foot in his hand.  He quickly found the small piece of glass and pulled it out.

“There.  All better.”

Sophie knew it wasn’t all better, but they had a job to do.  They needed to find who tried to kill her.  And they needed to plan a funeral.  It would be fun.  Then they’d discuss what had happened the night before. 

It may have been a mistake taking comfort from him in her time of need.  She needed that though.  She needed to feel loved and cherished, if just for a bit of time.  Sophie was sure he’d change once they were back to work. And she had to think about what she really wanted out of her life.


End file.
